The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 11-320034 filed on Nov. 10, 1999 including the specification, drawings and abstract is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure and a method for attaching an assist grip to a vehicle body via a ceiling base member, and more particularly, to an attachment structure for an assist grip having a contractible member as an attachment portion formed integrally with a grip body, wherein the contractible member is inserted into an attachment hole of the vehicle body.
2. Discussion of Related Art
In general, an assist grip to be mounted in a vehicle compartment (typically, on the ceiling) has a bolt-nut attachment structure. Such an assist grip is mounted in place by aligning an attachment hole of the assist grip with a nut welded to the vehicle body, and fastening a bolt into the nut.
With the bolt-nut attachment structure, however, the assist grip is attached to the ceiling with a poor work efficiency since workmen usually look up or turn the face upward so as to fasten the bolt into the nut. In view of this problem, an attachment structure that provides an improved work efficiency is proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 10-292807.
The attachment structure disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 10-292807 principally consists of a pin member 100 and a grommet 102 as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B.
The pin member 100 and the grommet 102 are both formed of synthetic resin. To attach the assist grip to the ceiling using the pin member 100 and the grommet 102, a substrate 104 of the grommet 102 is initially bonded (at its top surface as viewed in the figure) to a ceiling base member 200, and in this state a leg portion 106 of the grommet 102 is inserted through an attachment hole 204 of a vehicle body 202 (inner panel). Upon the insertion, elastically-deformable stop claws 108 are brought into engagement with the periphery of the attachment hole 204 such that the ceiling base member 200 is tentatively fixed with respect to the vehicle body 202.
Subsequently, an attachment hole 208 of the assist grip 206 is aligned with a receiving hole 110 of the grommet 102, and an insertion shaft 112 of the pin member 100 is inserted into the attachment hole 208 and receiving hole 110. During the insertion, engaging claws 114 formed at the distal end portion of the insertion shaft 112 are moved in the axial direction while being guided by respective slits 116 so that the leg portion 106 of the grommet 102 is expandable radially outwards.
In this manner, the assist grip 206 and the ceiling base member 200 are sandwiched between a head 118 of the pin member 100 and the substrate 104 of the grommet 102.
A tool, such as a screwdriver, is put into a receiving groove 120 formed in the head 118 of the pin member 100, so that the pin member 100 is rotated by 90xc2x0. As a result, the leg portion 106 expands radially outwards, and the engaging claws 114 are fitted in respective engaging recesses 124 formed in an inner wall 122 of the leg portion 106. Thus, the pin member 100 is prevented from being disengaged from the grommet 102, and the assist grip 206 is mounted on the vehicle body 202 via the ceiling base member 200.
The above-mentioned Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. HEI 10-292807 also discloses a structure in which the grommet 102 is formed integrally with the assist grip 206 in an attempt to reduce the number of components.
With the above-described attachment structure of the assist grip, it takes a lot of time and labor to bond the grommet 102 to the ceiling base member 200. Even the structure in which the grommet 102 is formed integrally with the assist grip 206 still suffers from a poor work efficiency since the pin member 100 must be rotated and locked so as to be fixed to the grommet 102. Additionally, this requires the use of a tool, such as a screwdriver.
In view of the foregoing facts, it is an object of the invention to provide an attachment structure with which an assist grip is attached to a vehicle body with an improved efficiency.
To accomplish the above object, the present invention provides an attachment structure with which an assist grip is attached to a vehicle body with a ceiling base member interposed therebetween, comprising: a grip body configured and positioned to be held by a passenger; a contractible member formed integrally with the grip body and inserted through a first attachment hole formed in the ceiling base member and a second attachment hole formed in the vehicle body, the contractible member having a space formed therein which allows the contractible member to be contracted; and an insertion member that is inserted into the space of the contractible member, to reach a locking position at which the insertion member restricts contraction of the contractible member. In this attachment structure, the contractible member includes a large-sized portion having an outside dimension that is larger than corresponding dimensions of the first and second attachment holes when the contractible member is in a normal state, and the contractible member is able to be contracted while the insertion member is not located at the locking position so that the outside dimension of the large-sized portion becomes smaller than the corresponding dimensions of the first and second attachment holes. The contractible member further includes a smallsized portion that is dimensioned to be fitted in the first and second attachment holes when the insertion member is located at the locking position.
With the attachment structure as described above, when the assist grip is attached to the vehicle body via the ceiling base member, the contractible member is contracted so that the size of the large-sized portion is reduced to be smaller than those of the first and second attachment holes. Thus, the contractible member can be inserted through the first and second attachment holes.
After the contractible member is fitted in the attachment holes, the insertion member is inserted into the space of the contractible member so as to restrict contraction of the contractible member that is now in the normal or non-contracted state. Thus, the size of the large-sized portion is kept larger than those of the first and second attachment holes. At this time, the small-sized portions of the contractible member are fitted in the first and second attachment holes, while the large-sized portions are held in engagement with the edges of the first and second attachment holes, and thus prevented from slipping out through the attachment holes.
Thus, the assist grip is attached to the vehicle body simply by fitting the contractible member formed integrally with the grip body in the first attachment hole of the ceiling base member and the second attachment hole of the body, and then inserting the insertion member into the space of the contractible member. Thus, the assist grip can be easily attached to the body with an improved efficiency.
In the attachment structure for the assist grip as described above, the contractible member may be formed from an elastic body. In this case, the contractible member is able to be elastically deformed to be contracted, and return to its normal or non-contracted state by use of its own elastic force.
During attachment of the assist grip, therefore, the contractible member restores its normal or non-contracted state from the contracted state after the member is fitted in the first and second attachment holes. Thus, the large-sized portions are brought into engagement with the first and second attachment holes even if the insertion member is not inserted into the space. Accordingly, the contractible member can be tentatively attached to the body merely by fitting the member in the first and second attachment holes, thus assuring further improved work efficiency.
With the attachment structure as described above, the attaching procedure may be changed. For example, the contractible member is first fitted in the first attachment hole of the ceiling base member so that the assist grip and the ceiling base member are assembled into a unit, and the contractible member is then fitted in the second attachment hole of the vehicle body. In this case, the ceiling base member may be attached to the vehicle body while being supported by the assist grip, thus assuring an improved efficiency in mounting the ceiling base member.
Particularly in the case where the thickness of the ceiling base member is reduced to be as small as possible, the handling ease may deteriorate, causing, for example, bending and breakage of the ceiling base member during transportation thereof. The above-mentioned attachment structure and procedure are effective in attaching such a thin ceiling base member to the vehicle body, and make it possible to further reduce the thickness and weight of the ceiling base member.
In one preferred form of the present invention, the contractible member includes a first engagement portion and a second engagement portion formed at an inner wall surface thereof. During the insertion of the insertion member into the space, an engaging portion of the insertion member engages with the first engagement portion of the contractible member when the insertion member is located at a non-locking position at which the contractible member may be contracted so that the outside dimension of the large-sized portion becomes smaller than the corresponding dimensions of the first and second attachment holes. Further, the engaging portion of the insertion member engages with the second engagement portion of the contractible member when the insertion member is located at the locking position at which the insertion member restricts contraction of the contractible member.
Thus, during attachment of the assist grip, the insertion member can be pre-mounted in the grip body by engaging the engagement portion of the insertion member with the first engagement portion. In this state, the contractible member may be contracted so as to be fitted in the first and second attachment holes.
After the contractible member is fitted in the first and second attachment holes, therefore, the assist grip can be attached to the vehicle body by merely pressing the insertion member into the space up to a locking position at which the engaging portion of the insertion member engages with the second engagement portion of the contractible member. Thus, the attaching operation is further simplified.
With the insertion member thus inserted up to the locking position, the engagement portion of the insertion member is held in engagement with the second engagement portion of the contractible member, whereby the insertion member is kept at the locking position. Thus, the insertion member can be reliably fixed in position within the space.
Moreover, pre-mounting of the insertion member in the assist grip may avoid accidents, for example, dropping or losing the insertion member during attachment operation.
In another preferred form of the invention, another member may be interposed between the vehicle body and the ceiling base member. The member thus interposed may be a shock-absorbing member, soundproof member, or the like. Where the ceiling base member has a certain air permeability, it may be used in combination with a sound-absorbing member.
In the above-described attaching procedure in which the assist grip and the ceiling base member are assembled into a unit and then attached to the vehicle body, the above-indicated member may be superposed on the ceiling base member, and then assembled as a unit with the assist grip, using an attachment hole formed in the member.
With the above arrangement, the ceiling base member achieves satisfactory handling ease and strength owing to the rigidity of the member superposed on the ceiling base member, thus assuring work efficiency with which the ceiling base member is mounted.
Moreover, since the ceiling base member and the interposing member such as a shock-absorbing member or soundproof member can be formed as separate members, these members may be easily designed and manufactured in a suitably selected method, to provide suitably selected characteristics. Depending on the manufacturing method, the interposing member, such as a shock-absorbing member or a soundproof member, may be formed integrally with the ceiling base member.